Reaching an Asian Games semifinal is itself a significant achievement, and in several team formats at the 2026 Games, it already guarantees at least a bronze medal. In Nagoya, a handful of Indian athletes and teams are fighting at exactly this stage, with the outcome still to be decided.
## Roshibina Devi’s Guaranteed Medal
Wushu fighter Naorem Roshibina Devi enters her women’s Sanda 60kg semifinal on Wednesday having already secured a medal regardless of the result, continuing a run that has already produced bronze at Jakarta 2018 and silver at Hangzhou 2023. A win would send her into the gold medal bout; a loss would still mean bronze. Her full campaign is covered in our dedicated update.
## Badminton’s Men’s Team Chase Gold
India’s men’s badminton team, unbeaten so far after wins over Japan in the quarterfinals, face China in the semifinals for a place in the gold medal match. Like Roshibina, the team has already assured itself a medal simply by reaching this stage, following the format used at these Games for team badminton events.
## Why Semifinal Losses Look Different Here
Unlike a quarterfinal exit, which typically ends a campaign without a medal, a semifinal loss in these team and combat sport formats still results in a podium finish. That distinction makes this stage of competition fundamentally different from the heartbreak experienced by teams eliminated one round earlier, covered in our roundup of India’s quarterfinal losses at these Games.
## The Bigger Picture
As the competition in Nagoya progresses, more Indian athletes will reach this pivotal stage across wrestling, boxing and other combat sports, where semifinal placement frequently determines a guaranteed medal colour rather than a straight shot at gold or elimination.
## What to Watch
Both Roshibina Devi’s wushu semifinal and India’s men’s badminton semifinal against China carry real gold medal implications, and their outcomes will shape two of the more closely followed storylines of India’s campaign through the rest of the week.